


The Beauty Of The Soul

by Marizzza891



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, College, M/M, Romance, Sexual Content, Slice of Life, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:40:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27787648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marizzza891/pseuds/Marizzza891
Summary: He will do anything to live in that mansion and be one of the Parks. Even if that means he has to win the heart of the crippled, the disabled, the most unattractive of the Parks, Park Chanyeol.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol, Kim Jongin | Kai/Oh Sehun
Comments: 1
Kudos: 52





	The Beauty Of The Soul

**Author's Note:**

> This is an adopted prompt.  
> BAE452 adopted from BAE2019

Let’s take a peek at the material world of rich, where money can buy everything from everyday necessities like food and drinks to the luxurious things that the majority of people can only dream of. The world where one can just point a finger, swipe the credit card and get anything they want: fast vehicles, shiny jewels, overpriced shoes and bags, extravagant parties, exotic travels, grandiose villas and many more. Breakfast in Rome, lunch in Barcelona, and dinner in Paris, or even staying in the president’s suits and they can spend more money than an average person can earn for a month just for one night. The most of Oasis University students are very familiar with this kind of lifestyle, being the children of politicians, CEOs, lawyers, celebrities, doctors and other important people. Even their school uniforms which are designer and custom made scream expensive. What a life, right?

One could only see something like that on a television and Baekhyun must have seen it all, considering that he had watched more dramas than he could count. At least his old, crappy TV was still serving its main, sole purpose and hadn’t been thrown away yet just because of it. He started watching dramas with his mother from a young age, and as he grew older they became his escape from the reality. Baekhyun often compared his own life with one of those family dramas because he thought that it couldn’t be more cliche. When Baekhyun was a teenager his grandpa got ill, so he moved to Seoul for a treatment. Baekhyun got tired of his apartment that he was sharing with his parents, siblings and grandparents. The young boy couldn’t remember his home being quiet ever since and having some privacy turned out to be impossible considering he had to share a room with his two younger sisters.

Baekhyun wished that he could be the main character for once, because he often felt like he was a supporting role in his own life. It was hard for his parents to provide for everyone, so Baekhyun got a part time job at the grocery store nearby. He simply didn’t have the heart to ask his parents for the money to buy the shoes he liked, or the game everyone at school was playing. Baekhyun also had to study hard to get a scholarship for his dream university. He lost count of how many times he had to turn down the offers to hang out with his friends, because he was either studying or working. 

In the end all his effort paid off when one of the best universities in the country, Oasis University sent him an acceptance letter and gave him a scholarship that was much needed. Baekhyun was over the moon when the letter came and the euphoria lasted for days, because he was a one step closer to being the main role he longed for.

The first day of college was one of the happiest days in Baekhyun’s life. He was ecstatic when he moved into the dorm. Not only did he get accepted into a one of the most prestigious universities, but he also wouldn't have to live in a cramped apartment anymore. However his life on campus wasn’t easy at all because Baekhyun still had to work and he studied twice as much as he did before to keep the scholarship. His roommate was an energetic guy called Jongdae. They seemed to get along pretty well from the first day, since they were both loud and mischievous. Baekhyun had been nervous before he met his roommate, because he didn’t know how he would react since he didn’t have a wealthy background.

But it turned out that Jongdae didn’t care after all and he was so chill about it, making it his own mission to show Baekhyun how it is on the other side. So with Jongdae’s help Baekhyun managed to visit a couple of parties dressed in branded clothes (the younger boy insisted they looked better on Baekhyun anyway), to meet so many people their age, and to experience what the college life was all about. And he liked it all, from the alcohol, the sultry music and dirty dancing to the silly games like Beer Pong, Never Have I Ever, Seven Minutes in Heaven and others alike.

Actually Baekhyun had his first kiss at one of those parties in a narrow closet with some girl that had been making an eye contact with him the whole night. She didn’t mind that he was inexperienced and Baekhyun found her cute. He thought that he liked it (He totally liked it, since he was blushing so much when he left the closet, as Jongdae loved to remind him) until he got a chance to end up locked in a similar place at another party, only this time with a boy. The kiss was nothing like the first one. The guy pulled him over and dominated the kiss from the start effortlessly. Baekhyun put his hands on the other guy’s chest for balance and he got surprised at how firm they were so he easily gave in. That kiss left a huge impression on Baekhyun and it made him confused. The guy from the closet approached him before he left the party, gave him his number and a name to match to the soft looking face that would be stuck in Baekhyun’s mind for many days to come – Lay.

They went on a few dates and tried to be in a relationship, but the couple figured out soon enough that they were better off as friends. That didn’t mean they didn’t hook up occasionally and making out at parties when they were both single became their thing and an inside joke between their friends.

Over the years Baekhyun made a solid circle of friends, so no one dared to bully him because he wasn’t well off. It was nice to get treated by others frequently and to be surrounded with rich people all the time. Nevertheless it made him resent his financial status and the impossibility to feel like he truly belongs with them, so he often felt insecure. But that’s why Baekhyun decided to study law and he had precisely determined goal set.

However sometimes things just wouldn’t go according to our plans. For a long time Baekhyun’s part time job became more of a burden to him, because one shift took too much time and the wage wasn’t sufficient anymore. Some of his friends knew that Baekhyun had been looking for a new job, when he got a proposition. Lay introduced him to Kai, a guy he shared dance classes with. Even if he wasn’t a part of their inner circle of friends, Baekhyun hung out with him on a few occasions, at a couple of parties and at some school events. Still he was a bit surprised when Kai told him about a job he meant that he thought would be perfect for Baekhyun.

Apparently Kai’s boyfriend had a cousin who needed a tutor and his family paid generous amount of money, so Baekhyun would earn more than he did in the store, and for a less time, too. The offer was tempting, Baekhyun had to admit, and it was even better that he actually knew who that cousin was, but there was one catch. The boy’s name was Chanyeol and he was in the same year as Baekhyun, so they were sharing the most of their classes. Perfect! So what was the catch then?

Chanyeol was a very private person and because he always kept a distance from the others it appeared that he had no friends. He wasn’t living in a dorm, didn’t attend parties or any of the school activities and he was rarely seen talking with someone other than his cousin Sehun and from time to time Kai. Chanyeol had a personal driver, who drove him to school every morning and picked him up right after the classes, so he would silently get in the car, never leaving the opportunity for someone to approach him. Chanyeol probably wouldn’t even get noticed if it wasn’t for the fact that he was blind.

He hated being the center of attention, but as it was Chanyeol had to attend the lessons, so he kept the contact with other students minimal. Still he had a loyal companion every day by his side that followed him everywhere, his lovely, devoted guide dog Sebastian. At the beginning it was unusual to see a blind person with a dog at the university building and people got intrigued. But as time went by it became well known among the students that Chanyeol didn’t socialize, so everyone stopped trying to get him to notice them, although that didn’t mean that they had lost interest. On the contrary, many talked behind his back, since it was impossible to ignore the fact that he was an heir to one of the wealthiest families in Korea, the Parks.

Chanyeol’s great grandfather founded a small, modest construction company from the bank loan and he worked diligently to support his family and to pay back his debt. The man never turned down any job, giving his best effort to finish every project he was entrusted with. People recognized his hard and honest work, allowing him to make a name for himself that attracted more clients. The company was growing gradually and over many years, when Chanyeol’s grandfather took over the business, it expanded abroad and became famous internationally. As a result Park Construction & Development Company was a participant at every major building project throughout Asia leaving the beautiful constructions for the rest of the world to admire.

Their surname Park holds a lot of power and the feelings it provokes among the people differ from respect to envy, and sometimes even pity. The latter is the exact reason why Chanyeol distance himself. He wasn’t always blind and he could still remember the soft brown shade of his mother’s long hair, the light blue color of the sky, the emerald green grass and the bright yellow dandelions in the park. Unfortunately he wasn’t sure if he should feel happy or cursed because of it.

One morning, when Chanyeol was nine years old, he woke up as the luckiest boy in the world, because his parents promised him they would take him to the zoo. He had been talking everyone’s ears off for days, gushing about the animals he wanted to see and pet, and feed, and maybe take home if the zoo keepers allowed him to. His brother and sister who were older than him had better things to do, so Chanyeol was sitting alone at the backseat of their car. The little boy was in the middle of his elaboration of how cool it would be to make a pond in their garden and get a beaver when suddenly he heard a deafening bang. Before Chanyeol had the time to blink, the car violently rolled over and everything turned black.

Two days later Chanyeol woke up in pain covered in bandages with two fractured ribs, numerous wounds all over his small, fragile body and a scar on his right cheekbone. Although his cute, round, dark brown eyes were open, the light didn’t appear. He was agitated, confused, petrified even, and he definitely wasn’t ready for what was about to come. The day that the little boy was so excited about turned out to be a horrible nightmare he couldn’t wake up from. Chanyeol’s life turned upside-down, not only because he lost his sight, but also his parents. It took his grandmother days to gather her courage to let him know about his parents leaving to meet the angels.

It was hard to go on since the whole country knew about the terrible tragedy that happened to the Parks. The child therapist, a very kind lady, gave Chanyeol visits while he was still in hospital. The visits continued and with her help Chanyeol learned step by step how to live through yet another day. His grandparents took care of him and his siblings, along with his aunt and her husband. Chanyeol’s brother and sister tried their best to teach him how to move around the house and to assist him when he needed help. Their cousin Sehun spent a lot of time in the mansion, so he would play with Chanyeol when his siblings were busy with their school work.

Even though it was hard, little by little Chanyeol got accustomed to a new way of living. He learned how to read and write Braille, although he used audio books and voice recognition programs more. At the age of 16 Chanyeol welcomed his now lifetime friend, Sebastian. The puppy had just finished the training at that time, so they experienced everything for the first time together. It was unusual to see a Vizsla dog breed in Korea, but Chanyeol loved him from the first day they had met. When he was not working, Sebastian was so energetic and playful, but he was always gentle and affectionate making it hard not to fall in love with him. However even if Chanyeol had a guide dog, his grandparents were reluctant to let him out of the property, so Sehun sometimes volunteered to tag along. 

Chanyeol was educated at home with teachers specialized for teaching and assisting the students with disabilities. But seeing how his brother and sister, and even Sehun, got to experience many exciting things at school, Chanyeol expressed his wish to attend one, too. So after many pleas, he finally managed to persuade his grandparents and they enrolled him in the private high school with the great program for blind and low vision students. He made a couple of friends there and it actually turned out to be an excellent decision since Chanyeol got more confident after spending time with the people with the same problem.

Seeing that high school had such a positive effect on Chanyeol, his grandparents supported him when he decided to go to the university, but they still insisted that he stayed at the house with them instead of the dorm. Coming from a family of engineers and architects, Chanyeol had to choose another profession, because of his sight loss, so he had chosen law. Chanyeol was both excited and very nervous for his first day at college, because he would be spending time with ‘normal’ people after so much time. Sehun was with him all the time and he met a senior student who showed him where the classrooms for each of his classes were. His name was Minseok and he was really nice and patient, so it wasn’t a problem for him to walk Chanyeol from one classroom to another multiple times. Sebastian accompanied them on the tour so he would become familiar with school hallways, as well.

Minseok was waiting for him on the second day and led him to the classes just to be sure that Chanyeol wouldn’t get confused or lost. Everything went well until the lunch time. Chanyeol was sitting with Sehun and they were sharing their first impressions, when the other students started approaching them and asking questions about his sight and family. He tried to be friendly and understanding at the beginning, so he would answer them timidly giving away only that he was involved in the car accident. As the time went by it looked like they weren’t interested in him as a friend, but as the Park’s heir. No one bothered with his feelings and they didn’t ask if he was okay with talking about the accident, if he was uncomfortable with being treated like a cripple, or if it was painful to mention his family, so Chanyeol talked with those people less and less, until he stopped interacting with everyone except for Minseok and Sehun.

He stopped caring what others would think about him and just acted however he felt like. Chanyeol didn’t pay attention to his appearance anymore, so if he felt like wearing a hoodie to school and not cutting his hair, he did just that. The professors let him be, since he wasn’t a troublemaker and sometimes they felt sorry for him. Over the years Chanyeol learned how to be a wallflower and how to ignore everyone around him. He only wanted to get a degree and leave the place for good.

At the beginning of his last year when subjects became more complex, Chanyeol needed help even if he hated to admit it. His grandparents asked Sehun to find a fellow student who would like to tutor their grandson, no matter the cost. Knowing that his cousin didn’t have any friends he turned to his boyfriend for an advice, when Kai told him about his friend Baekhyun, who was also studying law, so Sehun gave it a shot. He met with Baekhyun to ask if he was interested and explained to him briefly about the job. Baekhyun was intrigued, so he was invited to come to Chanyeol’s house to meet his grandparents.

Following the instructions that Sehun gave him, Baekhyun came to one of the richest neighborhoods in Seoul and arrived in front of the massive, antique-looking, wrought iron gate and waited for the doorman to let him in. When the gates opened, they revealed a jaw-dropping mansion surrounded by beautiful gardens with walkway and fountains on all sides, as well as a swimming pool with plenty of space to lounge nearby. Baekhyun couldn’t believe that this fairytale-like place truly existed in Seoul and that he was allowed in. Until then, he had only seen that kind of scenery on a TV and in photos, so Baekhyun couldn’t surpass the feeling like he was starring in a drama, because no matter how old he was that dream of his never came to an end.

He didn’t know what to expect from Chanyeol’s grandparents but they seemed down to earth and they only wanted what was best for their grandchildren. Baekhyun’s background didn’t matter to them and the only important thing was that Baekhyun treated their grandson well and that he could help him with studying. His job would be providing assistance for the learning materials by reading them aloud, the preparation for exams, and the completion of school work and assignments, and they would pay him for every hour he spent tutoring. Baekhyun admitted that he didn’t have any experience tutoring blind and visually impaired students, but he was willing to try, so they agreed to have a few trial classes to see how it goes.

Since Chanyeol was already at home it was a perfect opportunity for the two boys to meet. The insecure heir was reluctant to get out of his room, but he decided to give it a try knowing that it would be impossible to graduate if he didn’t get the much needed help. Chanyeol went down to the salon while Baekhyun was talking with his grandma and as soon as he entered the chatter stopped. His grandma ushered him to sit on the sofa next to the other boy. The introduction wasn’t necessary, yet Baekhyun still felt the need to say his name just to break the ice. He didn’t know if he should offer his hand for a handshake and it would be inappropriate to just grab Chanyeol’s hand, especially since he wasn’t offering, so he simply bowed a little and stayed still. The elder couple thought that the atmosphere would be less awkward without them; hence they excused themselves and left the boys alone.

Chanyeol didn’t know much about Baekhyun since they talked only a handful of times at school and it was exclusively about the group projects. While he was still thinking about what to say, Baekhyun took the first step by deciding to go straight to the point.

“Sehun told me that you need a tutor and he thought that I can be of help, so I would like to try if that’s okay with you.”

Chanyeol was taken by surprise with the other boy’s straightforwardness, but on the other hand he was thankful because the sooner they get it over with, the sooner he could return to his room.

“Uhm yeah it got really difficult to follow the program on my own. But do you think that you can do it? Are you sure that it won’t be a nuisance for you?” Chanyeol asked timidly because he knew it wouldn’t be an easy task, but he had to be sure.

“I will just be honest and tell you that I have zero experience, although I will give my best and maybe we could make it work. Not to brag, but my grades are really good and as you know I’m already familiar with the lessons, so why not give it a shot?”

Baekhyun started to believe his own words the longer he talked and everything he said actually made sense. On the other hand Chanyeol wasn’t persuaded entirely.

“It’s one thing to know the school material, but it’s totally different to teach it to someone like me.” Chanyeol hated to talk about his disability; however he had to point out the obvious problem.

“Studying with me would take a lot of your time and you’d have to be prepared that I would ask a lot of questions and I won’t be able to complete all of the assignments on the first try. It will probably get tiring at some point.” Baekhyun decided to interrupt him before he had a chance to list all the cons, since he had a feeling that more were coming.

“Regular tutoring takes some time too, you know? And if you don’t want me to do it, you can just say so. There is no need to come up with so many excuses” Baekhyun was not easily annoyed, but something in the other guy’s voice was rubbing him off the wrong way. Chanyeol wasn’t the one to give up easily, so he accepted the challenge and he spoke first without thinking.

“Fine, you can do it! Let’s see how long you’ll last.” Both boys were taken aback by Chanyeol’s sudden outburst, but they collected themselves fast and proceeded to make a schedule for their individual classes. They agreed to meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays after the school and on Saturdays before noon. Chanyeol also requested that Baekhyun doesn’t tell anyone about their arrangement and that their relationship at school remains the same, which he accepted without any complaint, so their first meeting ended on a good note.

Following Chanyeol’s wishes Baekhyun didn’t tell his roommate anything. He cut his shifts at the store on Tuesdays and Thursdays and he merely pretended that he still worked there every weekday. At first Baekhyun rode a bus to come to the mansion, but it was taking too long, so after a month they agreed that Chanyeol would pick him up with his driver one block further from the school so they could stay discreet. Baekhyun searched online for the best ways to help a visually disabled person and he prepared his classes according to the advices he saw. He planned the lessons down to every detail in advance, so he would be 100% ready when he came to Chanyeol’s home.

Even if he was so stubborn and skeptical in the beginning, Chanyeol had to admit that Baekhyun did try hard and his commitment was no joke. Nevertheless he was afraid to admit that he was growing to like Baekhyun. He didn’t think that Baekhyun would take this job seriously and doubted that he would stick around for so long. On the other side tutoring came in handy for Baekhyun because he was juggling between the work at the store and his social life, thus he didn’t have enough time to study for himself.

As the midterm exams were approaching Baekhyun was so tired that he had to quit his other job and focus only on tutoring. It brought him enough money anyway, so it wasn’t a difficult decision. He was spending more time at Chanyeol’s and he traded crazy and wild party nights for studying sessions. Two weeks prior the exams they had an extra class on Friday evening. The boys were going over their notes for the Public Law classes and making new audio recordings for Chanyeol to study later on when Baekhyun’s stomach started growling. He didn’t have a time to eat before he got there and they were huddled together in the study room for three hours already. Even if he was still trying to keep a distance, Chanyeol couldn’t ignore that his studying partner was hungry so he invited him to stay for dinner. While the offer was tempting, Baekhyun tried to politely decline it for the reason that he wasn’t comfortable spending time in other parts of the house and being around Chanyeol’s family, seeing that he never met the grandparents since his first visit.

Chanyeol dismissed his concerns and told him that his grandparents were out of the country with Sehun’s parents, because his granddad still liked to supervise their company’s important projects and Sehun was with Kai only God knew where. Baekhyun was led to big dining room with elegant beige walls and a classy oval-shaped auburn table for ten lighted by a glorious ceiling light. The warm colors created relaxed and comfortable environment for everyone to enjoy their meal and Baekhyun was enchanted with the glamorous style. He felt like a novelty sitting across Chanyeol and being served so many different dishes. Every dish was set precisely so Chanyeol would know where everything was placed. Baekhyun was observing him while they were eating, because it seemed that Chanyeol had no difficulties and he never asked for Baekhyun’s help. He knew exactly where the salt was, how far he should reach for his drink or where the napkin was laying, meaning that he was used to dine like that. Still Baekhyun was impressed and a little bit envious since he could only dream of having a private chef and being served like that.

Considering that Baekhyun stayed until they finished recording the last lecture from his notes and it was almost midnight Chanyeol called his driver to send his tutor home. On the way home, Baekhyun was lounging on the leather seats of a fancy car and rewinding his day. He couldn’t shake off the feeling of envy and after seeing just a glimpse of the stunning mansion, he wanted to be a part of that household. That’s when he decided to get closer to the young heir and grab his chance to be the main role for once.

The last two weeks before the midterms begun were pretty hectic for the boys and Baekhyun was spending almost all of his free time at the mansion. Some days were especially bad for Chanyeol because he got panic attacks whenever he couldn’t understand or memorize particular part of a lesson. He would become frustrated and get mood switches, but Baekhyun stayed by his side and helped him get through. Little by little, unconsciously, Chanyeol started to open up and he didn’t mind his tutor’s company. He would take Baekhyun to the gardens to show him around whenever they had breaks. Of course Sebastian didn’t miss a chance to play whenever they were out, making them forget about the school for a minute. They talked more about their favorite TV shows, movies, music, sharing only unimportant stuff about them, not giving away anything really personal, but it was still one step forward from how they usually acted around each other.

The first time they were seen interacting together in public was when Baekhyun approached Chanyeol after a class they both attended. He wanted to congratulate him in person because their exam results were out and they did great. Chanyeol was taken by surprise, but he didn’t mind anymore since he kind of considered Baekhyun as a friend after a countless number of hours they spend together for the last three months. Baekhyun took his chance and asked to have lunch together.

They went to the table where Chanyeol was regularly having his meals and immediately all eyes were on them, because it was such an unusual sight. Even Sehun and Kai were shocked to see Baekhyun at their table although they knew about the tutoring arrangement, however they pretended like nothing was out of order. Baekhyun could see the surprise on their faces, but he was grateful that they didn’t say anything meaning they would be able to finish the lunch in peace. He was also relieved because Jongdae wasn’t there so he couldn’t whine about being betrayed, at least for a moment, since it was only a matter of time until the word would be spread. All in all, Chanyeol hadn’t noticed anything, so Baekhyun considered his mission a success.

Later that day when Chanyeol was getting ready for bed, he couldn’t stop thinking about what happened. He couldn’t put his finger on why his tutor would come to have lunch with him. Even if he didn’t care about the students in the college, Chanyeol couldn’t avoid the gossips that had been circulating around the campus. He still knew who the popular kids, famous couples, and main heartbreakers were. Hence Chanyeol couldn’t understand why Baekhyun wanted to hang out with him, because he was known to be a social butterfly always in the center of the biggest happenings. But one thing was for sure, he didn’t mind his company at all and he certainly wanted to know more about him.

Their friendship was growing slowly, with baby steps. They started sitting next to each other at classes and having lunch together, so Baekhyun couldn’t avoid introducing Chanyeol to his roommate anymore. Seeing that it was their last semester, the tutoring continued and he had to come clean to Jongdae. The boys didn’t spend all their time studying and Chanyeol took a chance to show the rest of the house to Baekhyun including his own room. It was a big deal for Chanyeol considering that no one had been in there except for his family and the housekeeping staff. He felt vulnerable revealing a big and important part of himself without being able to see the other person’s face. He had to rely on what Baekhyun had told him and there was no other way to find out what was on his mind. However Chanyeol was thankful because other boy always followed his pace and he never pressured him about his past or his disability and that brought back his faith in people.

Baekhyun worked hard to earn Chanyeol’s trust and even if he had selfish reasons, he still liked his company. Their humor matched and Chanyeol was a pleasant person to be around with, so he never had to pretend. He got to meet his friend’s grandparents again, and Sehun’s parents for the first time, as well. They all appreciated how much he had helped Chanyeol and said that he was always welcomed. Since Chanyeol’s siblings were abroad for their PhD specialization, Sehun was paying attention to Baekhyun’s motives. He wanted to be sure that his cousin hadn’t been taken advantage of, because the poor boy had suffered too much already. It didn’t matter that Sehun was the younger one between the two, everyone in their family wanted to protect Chanyeol and his warm, enormous heart from the world. So far it seemed that his cousin was happy leaving Sehun no reason to doubt Baekhyun’s intentions.

The tutoring still took place three days a week and after the classes had been done, the boys would end up watching movies with an audio description or listening to the music from Chanyeol’s impressive collection of vinyl records. Baekhyun even developed a new hobby because apparently the young heir had an unexplainable addiction to Braille board games. Chanyeol’s competitiveness finally found its match when they ended up playing monopoly for almost five hours. They took the game very seriously and by the time Baekhyun declared bankruptcy it was way past midnight, so he was offered to stay for the night.

The guest took a shower and Chanyeol lent him some of his clothes. When they were about to go to sleep, Baekhyun noticed that the other boy was unusually quiet. He set on the bed next to him to check what was wrong.

”Is everything alright? Am I making you uncomfortable?” He asked with the gentlest voice he could manage, but Chanyeol kept his head low and refused to look at him. Baekhyun was sitting too close so he was embarrassed to show his empty, useless eyes and he regretted suggesting sleeping in the same room. The guest was waiting patiently for the answer, but seeing that there wasn’t any, he tentatively put a hand on Chanyeol’s knee to console him.

“You can tell me whatever it is. I won’t judge, I promise.” Baekhyun’s long fingers kept rubbing tiny, soothing circles on his leg in hope to encourage Chanyeol to talk to him.

“I don’t know what went through my mind when I offered you to stay here, I’m sorry.” Great! It sounded like Chanyeol didn’t want him there, so he tried to explain himself before Baekhyun got the wrong impression. “I don’t want people to see me like that. It surely won’t be a pretty sight when you wake up.”

“What are you saying?” No matter what he was thinking, Baekhyun couldn’t let Chanyeol believe that he didn’t like him. He brought up his right hand and lightly cupped Chanyeol’s cheek. “You’re beautiful, so don’t be ashamed, not in front of me at least.”

“Don’t mock me! You won’t hurt my feelings, so don’t pretend.” Chanyeol wanted to get up, but Baekhyun wouldn’t let him.

“No! Don’t go. I’m telling the truth. You are beautiful.” No one had ever said those kinds of words to him, so it was hard to believe him. The insecure boy was already falling for Baekhyun and it would be really cruel of him if he was joking. But he desperately wanted to trust him.

“Why would you like me when you could choose from so many others, boys and girls, equally? I’m damaged, so why would you pick me?” The tears started welling up in Chanyeol’s eyes, but he still wanted to know. That sounded wrong even to Baekhyun. No one should think like that. He pulled Chanyeol into a tight hug and whispered softly: “No, no… of course you are not damaged. How can you say that? You are just different, special.”

Baekhyun was warm and he smelled like Chanyeol’s shampoo. It was a familiar scent, therefore making him feel safe, which was exactly what he needed at that moment. Chanyeol laid his head on the guest’s shoulder until he calmed down and Baekhyun took a chance to ask him: “Please tell me if I read this wrong and you don’t like me, because I would really like to kiss you, if you let me.”

The host was dumbfounded by the sudden request. Never in a thousand years would he think that his feelings were reciprocated. 

“Can you promise that you’re not playing with me?

Baekhyun had to assure him, so he leaned in until his lips were just a breath away from other boy’s earlobe and whispered his promise, while he kept his fingers crossed. Even though he knew it was wrong to lie and he felt guilty because of it, the opportunity was too good not to take it. Baekhyun then proceeded to leave a chaste kiss on Chanyeol’s inexperienced lips.

Before Chanyeol had time to react, his tutor moved away and asked him nonchalantly, in a teasing tone like nothing happened: “Should we go to bed now?”

Still flustered Chanyeol followed him and laid gingerly next to him, careful to leave enough space between their bodies, but Baekhyun took the liberty to grasp his hand and interlock their fingers. The bed was so comfortable that the guest fell asleep in a matter of seconds unlike the owner who couldn’t stop thinking about the feeling of warmth that was still lingering on his lips, since he had never imagined that his first kiss would be like this.

On that day on Baekhyun embraced every chance to flirt with him, both with corny pickup lines and innocent touches, making Chanyeol flabbergasted every time it happened. It wasn’t like he didn’t like it, per se, but it was all new to him, so he didn’t know what to think of it. One week later when they took a stroll through the mansion gardens after studying, Baekhyun finally asked Chanyeol to be his boyfriend. It seemed like the question popped out of nowhere and took him by surprise, so Chanyeol couldn’t help being doubtful.

“Why would you ask me out of all people when you know that I’m no match to you? Even if I like to think that I can live a normal life, we have to admit that there are limits to my abilities.”

“Stop saying that!” Baekhyun had heard those words so many times, yet they still irked him. “Why wouldn’t I ask you? You are kind, smart and fun person to be around.”

That can’t be enough, Chanyeol thought, so he tried to reason with his tutor. “I would hold you back.”

“Nonsense!” Baekhyun interrupted him. “Those limits that you are talking about, you’ve made them yourself and you made your own obstacles when you decided to stay passive and just watch your life pass by.” Baekhyun had had enough of that attitude, so he chose harsh words on purpose in hope they would get trough Chanyeol’s stubborn head.

“So you think that I chose this? That I wanted to be used, ridiculed and thereby afraid of meeting new people and making new friends?”

It was frustrating for Chanyeol to explain his point of view and the reasons for his decisions. No one could persuade him that he imagined the wronging and all the inconveniences he experienced in the past few years. “Have you ever wondered why it‘s hard for me to trust unfamiliar people?”

“You got it all wrong. Stop twisting my words!” Baekhyun stopped himself from talking further and took a deep breath to calm down, because the last thing he wanted was to argue with Chanyeol, so he controlled his voice and continued.

“I know that you’ve been through a lot and I admire you for your strength. That’s why I want you to appreciate yourself more and to give you a choice to have a normal life, how you like to call it, and to be like everyone else.’

It was strange for Baekhyun how he truly meant everything he said, even if he wasn’t really romantically involved with Chanyeol. He thought that no one deserved to feel that way. It just wasn’t fair.

“I thought you liked me, so what’s keeping you from being my boyfriend?” Hating the awkward silence between them, Baekhyun wanted to lift up their mood again, so he teasingly added:

“If you are afraid that I’m ugly, I can assure you that I’m the hottest guy on campus. We would make a great couple.” It did manage to make Chanyeol smile, so the mission was completed. Baekhyun made a step forward to get closer to Chanyeol and put his left hand on his waist while he pulled the taller boy’s neck with the other hand and warned him just in case: “I’m going to kiss you now, and this time for real”, leaving Chanyeol enough time to stop him if he didn’t want it. Seeing that there were no complaints, he connected their lips.

Unlike when they first kissed, this time Baekhyun could feel the softness of those plump, alluring, cherry red lips and he absolutely loved it. He slightly pulled back to check Chanyeol’s reaction. His eyes were closed and he looked relaxed, and surprisingly he followed Baekhyun, which was the good sign, showing that he liked it. Hence Baekhyun leaned in once more and aimed straight for the lower lip, wanting to taste it again. There was no tongue involved, because he didn’t want to overwhelm the inexperienced boy, but the kiss was very enjoyable, nevertheless.

Unbeknown to him, there was a total chaos in Chanyeol’s head and his thoughts were all over the place. On one hand he was uncertain and not totally convinced with Baekhyun’s previous speech, but on the other he liked being kissed and how the smaller boy fitted perfectly in his arms, and he totally, completely and utterly fell for him. Therefore, Chanyeol decided to follow his heart, for once.

As days went on their relationship progressed steadily and they let only the closest people know, including Chanyeol’s grandparents. They suspected it anyway, since the boys were spending most of their free time together. Baekhyun played his cards right, didn’t rush anything and let everything happen naturally. Being overprotecting cousin, Sehun kept an eye on Baekhyun regardless, not wanting anyone to use Chanyeol and to hurt him. But deep down in his heart he wished their relationship would last because he hadn’t seen his cousin being that happy for a very long time.

Baekhyun introduced his new boyfriend to Jongdae, but not before he warned his friend to act nice. Chanyeol began to open up to other people and with Baekhyun’s help little by little, he started coming out of his shell. However they didn’t have much time to hang out as a whole group, seeing that the infamous bar exam was approaching rapidly. Baekhyun was still helping Chanyeol with studying and it wasn’t rare and unusual for him to sleep over at his house anymore, since their individual lessons lasted for hours. Despite having a privacy of Chanyeol’s comfy room, the boys didn’t have an opportunity to make a next step in their relationship, considering the two of them were exhausted at the end of the day.

Their hard work and numerous sleepless nights weren’t in vain, because both students managed to complete a law degree. Wanting to show how grateful he was for Baekhyun’s help, Chanyeol organized a trip to Hakone hot springs in Japan and booked a Premier suite with private open air bath, with Sehun’s assistance. `He waited for the dinner that his family arranged for Baekhyun to express their deep gratitude. His siblings were present, as well and they had met Baekhyun for the first time. He succeeded to charm everyone, of course and they all had a very pleasant evening.

After the meal, boys ended up in the gardens. It was Baekhyun’s favorite part of the mansion because they were surrounded with various tree species and relaxing sound of water flowing in the fountains, with diverse selection of flowers and some rare, hidden gems among them. While Baekhyun was busy playing fetch with Sebastian, Chanyeol surprised him with the trip plans and gifted him the plane tickets. That would be Baekhyun’s first time to leave the country and he was ecstatic, making his boyfriend pleased with his suggestion. He loved the idea of doing something for Baekhyun for a change, and not the other way around.

Their trip started two weeks later. Baekhyun was excited from the very moment he set foot into an airport. First, he bombarded Chanyeol with questions about their destination and the hotel, then he spent days researching about the place. He would send a message to his boyfriend every time he came across some interesting fact, and finally the day had come. Baekhyun tried his best to describe everything he could see from the shuttle bus on their way to the hotel, wanting Chanyeol to have the same experience.

He was stunned when they got accompanied to their suit. It was spacious, luxurious and had modern, sophisticated furniture, but kept characteristic, traditional Japanese style, and Baekhyun didn’t expect it to be bigger than his family apartment. After they had taken care of their luggage and unpacked, he led Chanyeol trough the rooms, making him familiar with their accommodation. The huge, floor-to-ceiling glass door with light brown, wooden frame showed a beautiful terrace, where the open-air bath was placed.

The couple ordered food service, and after they had had a light meal, it was finally time to go out for a bath. Being the first one to get ready, Baekhyun was counting down the minutes, impatiently waiting for Chanyeol to wash himself and to put on his swim trunks. It was chilly outside, meaning they would enjoy it to the fullest. Baekhyun helped his boyfriend to get in the water and then he set next to him. As soon as they sank their bodies the warmth surrounded them, and there was nothing left to do, but to get used to the water temperature, completely relax and let nature to take over. Up until then, Baekhyun never knew how much he needed cypress-scented bath and there was nothing he could compare it with.

The very person he had to thank for this magical opportunity was sitting right next to him, so Baekhyun grasped Chanyeol’s hand between his thumb and finger, brought it close to his lips and gently kissed it, and then murmured:

“No one has ever done something like this for me. This place is like a fairytale and I will never forget it. Thank you.” His voice was quite, but sincere and Chanyeol could feel it.

“There is no need to thank me. You did so much for me and this is a little something to repay you.”

It was such a rare chance for them to share an intimate moment and Baekhyun felt the need to get closer to Chanyeol, so he told him to turn around. He stood right behind him, gathered his hair and tenderly soaked it. Long, soft fingers were leisurely traveling through his hair, making Chanyeol close his eyes and drift off. While holding the both sides of his boyfriend’s head, Baekhyun leaned in and pecked Chanyeol’s forehead first, then the tip of his nose, and lastly the upper lip. Chanyeol, who was already used to kissing by then, wanted a proper kiss, so he pulled smaller boy into his lap. Baekhyun was quick to follow; he clasped the back of Chanyeol’s neck and pressed their lips together. At times like that, Chanyeol was longing to have his vision back the most, and he would give anything to see Baekhyun. He had heard of his boyfriend’s good looks on a few occasions, so he couldn’t help but wonder if there was the moonlight over them, illuminating the gorgeous face and making the smooth skin under his fingers glowing. Chanyeol had a feeling that the boy on his lap looked as beautiful as the lush nature surrounding the turquoise pools that Baekhyun described to him earlier that day.

Baekhyun pulled away slightly to leave a trail of kisses from Chanyeol’s jaw to his collarbone, then proceeded to nibble on his sensitive ears, stealing a moan from his boyfriend. That was their first time to go that far, and Baekhyun could feel Chanyeol getting hard, so he lowered his hand slowly under the water and gradually descended it dawn Chanyeol’s body until he got to the waistband of the shorts, making his intentions clear and giving him an opportunity to stop him. However, he only grabbed Baekhyun’s shoulder tighter and pressed himself closer to his palm giving him a permission to go on. Chanyeol’s breath hitched when his crotch got in contact with Baekhyun’s warm fingers and he had to bite his lips to stop himself from moaning aloud. Baekhyun let his fingertips to run over across the bumps, mapping the veins on the erection. He was concentrating on Chanyeol’s face and on every little groan that escaped his throat. He was rubbing the head with one hand and playing with the balls with the other. Suddenly, it was too much for Chanyeol and his abdomen was tensing up, so he tried to warn his boyfriend that he was close. Baekhyun could feel his crotch twitching and encouraged him to let go. With one last jerk Chanyeol dig his fingers into Baekhyun’s back and he climaxed hard.

“You did well!” Baekhyun pecked his cheek and let him calm down. He tried to stand up, but Chanyeol kept him in place because he knew that Baekhyun got no pleasure and wanted to reciprocate.

“It’s okay, I’m fine, but if you really want to help, what do you say about going inside, first?” Chanyeol agreed and Baekhyun pulled his hand to guide him out of the pool, put the towels over their backs and led him to the sleeping room.

Once they were inside, Baekhyun took another towel to dry Chanyeol’s soaked hair, but the latter was too impatient to let him finish, so he threw the towel somewhere over his shoulder and reached for his boyfriend’s hips. Baekhyun assumed what he wanted to and stepped closer to help him. Taller boy bent down to capture the soft, swollen lip between his, then lightly swept his tongue over it and the response was instant, allowing him to slide his tongue into Baekhyun’s mouth. Aside from kissing, Chanyeol barely had any other experience, so he broke the kiss to ask his partner what to do?

“I want to make you feel good, too, so tell me how. What would you like to do?”

While he was waiting for the answer, Chanyeol kissed him behind his ear, then dragged his tongue up the curve of a slender neck, making it hard for Baekhyun to think.

“Fuck… I didn’t bring anything, but we can manage. Can I use your thighs?” Chanyeol was confused, but agreed anyway, so Baekhyun quickly left to grab a lotion, made him lay back on the king size bed and climbed on top of him.

“I’m going to put some lotion on your thighs and I need you to lay on your side and then stick them together. Is that okay?” Being too overwhelmed to talk, Chanyeol just nodded and spread his legs.

Baekhyun was already naked, so he took off Chanyeol’s swim trunks, squeezed some lotion on his palm and proceeded to smear it on the rounded and plump flesh. He moved behind Chanyeol afterwards and took his painfully hard member to place between warm, slippery thighs. It felt so good, that he was only able to murmur Chanyeol to bring his legs together and to keep them like that. Baekhyun squeezed the taller boy’s waist and started moving his hips. He pressed his mouth to the Chanyeol’s shoulder and began pecking the smooth skin. Even if he wasn’t the one being pleasured, Chanyeol liked the intimacy they shared at that moment. He liked erotic sounds his boyfriend was making ant wanted to hear them more often. As his completion was getting closer, Baekhyun held Chanyeol’s hips for dear life, and leaving crescents on his skin. He thrusted his pelvis one last time and bit Chanyeol’s shoulder to muffle his scream while he reached his high.

He laid on his back to take a breath, then bowed his head slightly to brush his lips over his boyfriend’s chest.

“Thank you. You were great.” He got off the bed to get a towel to clean the mess he made and after that he was delicately rubbed the sore flesh and put some cream on it to heal faster. “Did I hurt you, are you okay?”

Chanyeol felt great, wonderful actually, so he let him know. He trusted Baekhyun; therefore he wanted to take another step, to make a physical connection between them as well, and their trip allowed them to do just that. He opened his arms as an invitation to cuddle, which Baekhyun gladly accepted and they fell asleep wrapped around each other.

Sadly, they couldn’t stay in Japan forever and the couple had to return to Seoul. Baekhyun was back in his room unpacking and thinking about the next destination they could visit, because he knew that Chanyeol would take him anywhere he wanted to go, when he noticed Jongdae standing by the door. He let himself in to hear the impressions and all details from their vacation. Baekhyun could talk endlessly about his experiences, making them sound like an unforgettable and thrilling adventure. They had no secrets, so Baekhyun even told him vaguely about their night escapades, leaving out the impropriate stuff. When he finished his narrative, Jongdae was looking at him funnily, and Baekhyun wasn’t sure if he wanted to hear what was on his friend’s mind, yet he couldn’t stop his curiosity and asked anyway.

“Wow! You really fell in love with him. Who would have thought that Byun Baekhyun would fall for shy and innocent guy like Chanyeol? Even if Baekhyun’s face morphed into a grimace and changed color, Jongdae kept teasing him.

“Way to go Beak! I didn’t know you had it in you. Even the greatest seducers can get seduced. What a shock!”

While his friend was having so much fun, Baekhyun was still processing his words, but soon enough his defense mechanism kicked in.

“What are you saying, man? You know it’s not like that. My feelings for him are nonexistent, think of it like a friends-with-benefits sort of relationship.” Jongdae didn’t even bother to listen to his excuses, they were obviously false.

“You’re delusional. Keep telling yourself that and maybe you’ll believe it.” He was on his way out, but suddenly remembered something.

“Well if you’re so sure about it, why don’t you come to the party with me? Junmyeon’s boyfriend is hosting it on Saturday and the whole crew will be there. You have plenty of time to decide, just let me know by then.” Jongdae turned and left.

Baekhyun couldn’t remember when the last time he had a real night out was. He knew parties weren’t Chanyeol’s thing, but he sent him a voice message anyway to check if he wanted to go. The reply came after a couple of minutes, and it was just as he predicted. His boyfriend thanked him for invitation, but declined and wished him fun.

Saturday evening found the two roommates dressed from head to toe and ready to go out. By the time they got there, the house was already brimming with people and loud EDM music was blasting through the speakers at every corner of the villa, including the backyard. It was after a few rounds of alcohol and couple of hours on the dance floor that Baekhyun realized how much he missed going out. He missed dancing in the big crowd of people, losing himself to the rhythm and the burning taste of the alcohol, followed by carefree, and some would say reckless behavior.

Having noticed that his cup was empty, Baekhyun went to get another drink. While he was thinking about what to pour next, he abruptly stumbled over his own feet, but thankfully someone was near and sober enough to catch him. Baekhyun looked up to thank his savior and saw two dimples and a pair of familiar, droopy eyes.

“If you are going for a refill, maybe you should reconsider. You could have hurt yourself if I hadn’t been fast enough.”

“How lucky I am to have you, then.” It’s been a while since he last saw Lay’s handsome face and Baekhyun was happy to see him.

Lay accompanied him to the kitchen, and waited for his friend to decide which drink he wanted, while eyeing his amazing ass. Baekhyun certainly knew what he was doing when he put on that pair of jeans that accentuated his figure and hugged every curve. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get a piece of it for months.

“How come your boyfriend let you out? Or have you finally gotten bored of him and dumped him?”

“Thanks for your concern, but we are doing just fine.” Finding it hard to believe, Lay couldn’t help but chuckle in amusement.

“Oh please! Are you saying that handicapped, poor guy can satisfy all your needs?” He stepped in front of Baekhyun, grabbed his waist and pulled him closer until their bodies touched. Lay whispered seductively right into his ear:

“Does he know where to touch, caress, bite… when to be rough? Can he make your voice hoarse by screaming his name?” Upon noticing the goose bumps on Baekhyun’s flawless skin, the other guy knew that he achieved the exact effect he was aiming for.

Feeling the alcohol buzz, Baekhyun needed a moment to get his mind in order, so he closed his eyes for a second, but he sobered up instantly as soon as he saw disgusted look on Sehun’s face. He tried to pull away, but it was too late and Sehun wasn’t there anymore. Baekhyun ran after him and started to panic because Sehun couldn’t be seen anywhere in the house, so he hurried to the parking lot. His car was already gone by the time he got there and Baekhyun started sweating when he couldn’t find his phone, remembering that he left it in his jacket.

Anything that could go wrong did go wrong. Baekhyun lost precious time while rummaging through the sea of someone else’s jackets and coats, until he found his phone. He dialed Sehun’s number countless times hectically, but every call ended up in voicemail. There was no point in calling Chanyeol, because Baekhyun sure that his boyfriend was long asleep. His head was pulsating and he could feel a headache coming on. The night turned into complete disaster and Baekhyun couldn’t wait to get home.

However it made no difference, since the restless boy was tossing and turning in bed till the sunrise, when he decided to get up. The morning found him in a worse state than he was the night before. When Baekhyun mustered enough courage to call Chanyeol, only to find out that his phone was turned off, he began to lose hope. He tried calling him again couple of times and sent a dozen voice messages and he got no response.

Being on the receiving end of silent treatment, Baekhyun spent his days in agony. He was silently moping around the house for almost a week, when Jongdae couldn’t take seeing him like that anymore. He bribed Baekhyun to get out of his room with banana smoothie and set him on the couch to talk some sense into him.

“Why don’t you go to see him, if he doesn’t want to return your call?” Jongdae asked like it was most logical thing to do.

“It’s not that simple, Dae. Do you know how many people I need to go through only to get to Chanyeol?” Of course Baekhyun thought of it, but even if the elder couple allow to open the gates for him, there was no way that Sehun would let him in. It would be humiliating and Baekhyun tried to reason with his friend.

“And maybe they would allow you to explain what happened. But you’ll never know if you don’t try. At this point you are only making up excuses.” No sugarcoating would help Baekhyun and he needed to accept the truth, so there was no better person for the task, seeing that Jongdae’s mouth had no filter.

“Remember when I asked you about your feelings for Chanyeol when you came back from Japan? Can you reconsider your answer? And don’t even try to give me that friends with benefits crap!” Baekhyun was confused about why that topic was brought up again, when he had already explained everything.

“We have talked about this before, Dae and you know why I approached him. It was simply convenient.” He was open about his motives with his friend from the beginning, and having the same kind of conversation over and over was getting on his nerve. “He was reach and fun person to be around once you get to know him. An easy target, if you’d like to call it, not that I’m proud of it.”

“But that was months ago!” Jongdae was getting annoyed with his friend’s stubbornness. “Think about it. The happiness on your face after the trip wasn’t fake, so it wasn’t all a pretense. Baek, you were glowing for god’s sake!”

“I only had a great time, that’s all. I like him as a friend, nothing more. Can we talk about something else?” At that point, they were going in circles and both of them were stuck with their own opinions, so Baekhyun wanted to change the subject.

“Why are you sulking, then? How would you feel if you never see Chanyeol again, if he hates you?” Jongdae sharply looked him in the eyes daring him to lie. Baekhyun imagined his life without Chanyeol’s shy smiles, his silly jokes, gentle voice and his beautiful, pure soul, when suddenly he had difficulty breathing. He felt like he was knocked down by a huge wave, and the air was emptied from his lungs. Then it hit him! Baekhyun was the blind one, a fool, an idiot for not seeing what was right in front of him.

Smoothie long forgotten, Baekhyun jumped from the couch still in shock, grabbed his phone and ran out of their apartment. He forgot his jacket and keys, but thankfully he had some money for the cab in his pocket.

Fortunately, it looked like the luck was on his side, because neither Sehun nor their grandparents were at home. Baekhyun literally had to bag the maid to let him upstairs, to the young heir’s room and thankfully one long look at his disheveled appearance and she allowed him in. He took a deep breath and knocked on Chanyeol’s door. When a deep voice invited him in, he timidly opened the door and peaked inside looking for his boyfriend. (Were they still in a relationship, tho’?)

“May I come in?” Baekhyun was still standing by the doorframe in case Chanyeol didn’t want him there.

“How did you get here?” Chanyeol had to be sure he wasn’t hallucinating and that Baekhyun really was in his home.

“Your maid let me in, but I made her do it, so it wasn’t her fault.” The guest quickly added because he didn’t want to make a problem to the poor girl. He got a permission to enter and Baekhyun breathed a sigh of relief, mentally preparing himself for what was about to come. They were back to being awkward, so he was determined to make things right.

“I don’t know what Sehun had told you, but I can promise you it wasn’t what it looked like.”

“So you weren’t at the party with another guy badmouthing me? He wasn’t touching you? Interesting! Then Sehun must’ve heard and saw wrong.” Chanyeol didn’t know if he should cry or laugh at the ridiculousness of the whole situation. Did Baekhyun really think that he was that stupid?

“Was it worth it? Did you at least have a good laugh of me? I can’t believe I actually thought that you…“ Chanyeol stopped talking before he made a bigger fool of himself. “You know what? Never mind, you don’t have to tell me.”

“I didn’t even know that Lay was at the party, and I had a couple of drinks, but when I went to get another one, he followed me. Baekhyun was desperate to explain what happened and he need Chanyeol to believe him, so he decided to tell the whole truth.

“He did say some stuff, I admit, and he hugged me, but I didn’t think much of it, since we were friends. Being drunk, my reaction was a bit too slow, but I’ve never meant to cheat on you.” He couldn’t help thinking that the whole mess would not have happened if only Sehun had stayed one minute longer. Baekhyun got closer to the bed where Chanyeol was sitting and situated himself on the floor right across of him.

“First, I want you to remember that everything that happened on the party was terrible misunderstanding.” He tentatively rubbed Chanyeol’s knee to offer him some comfort for what he was about to say.

“Actually, I need to tell you something else. You’ve only met my sisters, but not my whole family, right?” The question took Chanyeol by surprise, but he nodded anyway and let Baekhyun continue. And Baekhyun told him everything, from his obsession of being rich, why he started tutoring, the truth behind their relationship, how something within him changed after Japan, and finally, he told him about his unbelievable revelation.

By the time Baekhyun was finished talking, Chanyeol had gone through so many emotions, which ended up on being numb. He simply didn’t know what to think, say, or how to feel. How was he even supposed to react to that? But it kind of made sense that he was an object of a very sick game. Baekhyun focused on Chanyeol’s face, trying to guess what was on his mind, but his expression was blank, not giving anything away.

“Please, say something.” He begged him to talk, otherwise he would get crazy.

“I don’t know what to say…” Chanyeol stood up because he couldn’t stay in one place anymore.

“I can’t believe I was right the whole time. I’ve even told you that it made no sense for you to date me on more than one occasion.” Chanyeol was pacing across the room and Baekhyun was afraid he would injure himself, so he got up from the floor and got closer to the taller boy.

“I don’t have an excuse for what I did, but I beg you to forgive me. I was too dumb to see that I could hurt you.” Realizing the consequences of his reckless actions and that he made someone he cares for suffer, tears started to well up in Baekhyun’s eyes.

“If you decide to never see me again, I would understand because I deserve it. For what it’s worth, I don’t care about that stuff anymore, because you’ve made me a better person.” And that was the truth Baekhyun took forever to figure out. He just hoped that he wasn’t too late.

“Was anything real?” Rendered speechless, that was everything Chanyeol could muster.

“Of course it was! I didn’t lie when I told you that you were beautiful, and I don’t mean only your good looks, but your wonderful heart, as well. Everything that happened in Hakone was real, I just wasn’t aware of it until recently.” At that point both of them were crying and it was hard to talk, but Baekhyun had to convince him that nothing was Chanyeol’s fault, and that all was product of his own selfishness and stupidity.

“You have that gift to make people feel special and loved, to make someone happy. You know how to help them overcome their insecurities, how to deal with their fears, and you do it unconditionally, not expecting anything in return. I don’t know if you are aware of that." Baekhyun paused for a second to organize his thoughts, when he heard muffled sniffles. He took Chanyeol’s hand off his face, cupped his warm cheeks and whipped the other boy’s tears with his own thumbs. He wanted to hug him, but that would be too much to ask.

“I took you for granted and I’ve just realized that. But if you allow me, I want to be that person for you. I want to be your sanctuary, because you only worry for others, often forgetting to think about yourself.”

Chanyeol was still confused. He was afraid to open his heart again and make himself vulnerable, but he still cared for Baekhyun and he sounded sincere, so he decided to give him another chance.

“I want to try, but it’s going to take some time to completely trust you, so I’ll need you to be patient with me.” Baekhyun intertwined their fingers, got on his tiptoes and grazed Chanyeol’s wet cheek with his lips. 

“And I will give you anything you ask for, until I prove myself.” And that was a promise Baekhyun intended to keep.

~ FIN ~

**Author's Note:**

> I had no intention to offend anyone and I apologize if I did it unconsciously. I did an online research about the assistance for blind and visually impaired students, and guide dogs, so I hope I got it right.
> 
> To the prompter: I really liked your prompt, but I'm not sure if I did it any justice. Still, I hope you liked it.  
> To the mods: Thank you for your immense patience and for letting me post my story even if I was late.  
> And last, but not least - Thank you, Dee for encouraging me to adopt this great prompt. 💖


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